The Jig Is Up: Steelers Preseason, Week 1 vs. the Jaguars
Recently I was thinking about my time writing about the Pittsburgh Steelers. Throughout my career doing so, I’ve essentially done it all.
Commentary, news, breaking stories, features and even took a stab at simple film room breakdowns.
The one thing I’ve never done is work on just a random thought type format.
I can’t speak for you, the reader, but I am always thinking about writing and the Steelers. Thinking about different aspects of the team and game. Thanks to reading Myron Cope’s biography I decided to put a unique spin on this type of feature.
Now, for the name of the article, anyone who is familiar with the Styx song “Renegade” should know where it came from. If not, this is where it came from…
The jig is up, the news is out
They finally found me
The renegade who had it made
Retrieved for a bounty
Nevermore to go astray
This’ll be the end today of the wanted man
The jig is up…time for some randomness.
New contracts? Really?
Thursday afternoon news broke from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Cam Heyward wanted to re-do his contract in hopes of getting more money before his career comes to a close. This was Schefter’s tweet announcing the news:
With little fanfare, Steelers four-time All-Pro defensive tackle Cameron Heyward hasn’t fully participated in practice yet this summer as he awaits a restructured contract that has not gotten done, per sources.
Heyward is scheduled to make $14.75 million this season, with $13.45… pic.twitter.com/aqaCResr8A
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2025
If that wasn’t enough, Schefter also added how kicker Chris Boswell also is looking a new contract prior to the start of the 2025 regular season.
In addition to Cam Heyward, All-Pro kicker Chris Boswell privately has been seeking a new contract from the Steelers, per source. Despite being voted first team All-Pro, Boswell was the AFC North’s lowest-paid kicker last season. Three years ago Boswell signed a contract that… https://t.co/4PEmbpoQjD
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 7, 2025
I have to be honest here, Boswell might have an actual gripe about how much he is being paid. Boswell is currently the 11th highest paid placekicker in the NFL, and anyone who follows the Steelers knows he is worth more than the 11th highest paid kicker at his position.
As for Heyward, I can’t see how he could request more money. It was last offseason when Cam signed his new contract, and less than 365 days later he wants a re-done deal? He wants more money? The optics of this are just bad.
Speaking of contracts
As a reminder, let’s also not forget the Steelers long-standing practice of not negotiating new contracts with non-QBs who aren’t in the final year of their current contract. It’s why the Steelers didn’t talk contract with T.J. Watt until this offseason, and neither Boswell or Heyward would fall into that category of being in the last year of their current contract.
So, how will this play out? That’s anyone’s guess, but for me I don’t see the Steelers breaking their standard practice. But that doesn’t mean they can’t get either player more money. The Steelers could absolutely move money around to give both players a pay raise, without giving a new contract. That is how I see this thing playing out, without the Steelers breaking their practice of not giving out new deals to players not on the last year of their contract.
How is training camp almost over??
Following Thursday’s practice at Saint Vincent College, it is hard to believe camp is almost over. After the team returns from the preseason game in Jacksonville, they have open practices Monday and Tuesday, a close practice on Wednesday, and that’s it. Camp breaks and the team heads back to Pittsburgh prior to their Tampa Bay Buccaneers joint practice and Preseason Week 2.
This is just another example of how the time flies once the Steelers head back to camp…
Will Howard’s injury is horrible timing
Steelers fans were excited to see what Will Howard would be able to do in a game setting against an opponent that isn’t wearing the same colored jersey, and that might not happen now.
After suffering a broken bone in his hand/finger, Howard’s preseason is in serious jeopardy, and that is horrible timing. The Steelers organization knows what they have in Howard, considering they see him in practices, but for the fans it sucks. When you look ahead you see a team who will be adding more quarterbacks next season in a variety of ways, you have to wonder how Howard will fit into that group.
Maybe he’ll play in Preseason Week 3, but I doubt it…and that sucks.
Seven Shots Update
The defense took a dominant lead in the training camp “Seven Shots” drill, a goal line drill the team does to start every practice; however, the offense has started to claw their way back. Here is the latest count on the results of the drill as of Thursday’s camp practice:
- Offense – 5
- Defense – 6
Sure, the offense has been getting some victories with T.J. Watt and company resting, but at this point the offense is making strides in the right direction and I’m not about to bemoan any progress on that side of the team. Iron sharpens iron, right?
Week 1 Announcers
The NFL released their 2025 Week 1 regular season announcer schedule, and the crew covering Steelers vs. Jets in Week 1 will be?
Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt and Evan Washburn.
Here is the full slate of announcers:
Game Announcers for Week 1 of the @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/CA0NkWwGaQ
— CBS Sports PR (@CBSSportsGang) August 6, 2025
Watt takes over for Charles Davis, who got bumped from the B squad to the C squad, and I’m not sure how this will go. I think in totality J.J. Watt will be a great addition to CBS and their coverage, but I’m not sure how he will handle covering the Steelers with T.J. on the field.
It could be great, with some tremendous stories and background between two brothers, but it also could be a nightmare with J.J. either trying to criticize his brother too much, for fear of playing favorites, or him lauding him too much. I don’t see much in between at this point, but it certainly will be interesting.
My next question is, how many times will this crew have the Steelers in 2025? Ian Eagle calls a lot of Steelers games. And will the Steelers get Jim Nantz and Tony Romo at any point this season? They’ll have to be playing in some big games to get the A announcer squad.
We shall see…
Grain of Salt Season
With the preseason officially here, it is important to remind everyone that both success and failure during this 3-game stretch should be taken with a giant grain of salt.
Remember the “Pristine Preseason” of 2023 with Kenny Pickett and George Pickens lighting up the scoreboard? How did that turn out?
Remember the years when the Steelers defense gave up points and were missing tackles, only to be ready to roll when the regular season started?
There are things we can glean from preseason action, but we have to make sure we take all results with a grain of salt heading into these exhibition games.
Check out the latest “Let’s Ride” podcast in the player below:
That does it…the jig is up, they’ve finally found me. This renegade is outta here…be sure to stay tuned to SCN for the latest news and notes surrounding the Steelers as they press on throughout 2025 training camp and the preseason.
Don’t know what I’d do without Adam Schefter. No shame in his game.
The Will Howard injury timing is ESPECIALLY bad for him.
The Steelers are well expected to go and get a top tier QB in next year’s Draft. If ever Howard was going to get a shot to show what he can do and make this team, it was going to be in his limited snaps this preseason, and that’s about it.
He was probably only ever going to make QB3 this year, but the Steelers are well known for stashing their favorite ‘Non Active Roster’ QB on the Practice Squad. It was Skylar Thompson coming into the season, and I do have faith that Howard could have beaten Thompson out for QB3.
Now? That injury may possibly keep him from making the team at all.
Howard’s injury does suck much, but man I just can’t see a scenario where the Steelers choose Skylar Thompson over Will Howard – injury or not. He’s already ahead of him on the depth chart, and I gotta think they believe he has a real shot at closing the gap between he and Mason by season end. I doubt anyone but Skylar’s mom thinks he can do that.
Howards getting poached off the practice squad if he goes there, while Skylar would be safe.
Seeing the cbs lineup reminds me of how much I miss Greg Gumbel.
Training camp and preseason games have declined to the point where they’ve become borderline expendable. The worst aspects of this situation are twofold. First, draftees and other young players trying to crack the roster have almost no shot to make the kind of impact that would secure their spots among the final 53. So one of the most important, former reasons for this preseason ritual no longer exists. And the limited opportunities that young players have today also means that teams more often are releasing players who eventually excel elsewhere in the league. Especially with regard to young quarterback prospects, this presents an extremely tough and high-pressure situation.
Secondly, it’s obvious that first-team players aren’t getting anywhere near the level of conditioning or practice that NFL players have gotten in the past. The league’s “company line” is that these things don’t really matter. But if that’s true then why are we seeing so many teams that still appear to be playing JV football three or four weeks into the regular season?
So, to your point, the reasons for taking the NFL preseason seriously have become fewer and fewer with each passing year.